Sprouting

Grr - the internet gremlins strike again and ate my original sprouting post.

Getting adequate nutrition is difficult right now. Access to fresh produce is limited, expensive and with all the recalls getting harder and harder each day. Crops haven't been as good and I know my garden has been struggling for the past two years due to the bizarre weather patterns.
I started thinking about using sprouts as a way to add inexpensive greens to our diet. I bought seeds years ago but I couldn't get myself to follow through. For whatever reason, the process intimidated me. I read extensively on the subject to find myself less sure. Finally, one day not that long ago I decided it was time. Learn now or give up the idea.
I was shocked and amazed how easy and inexpensive it all was. Now I bought the seeds from the bulk section of our local Co-op so I have no idea what I spent but I know it was less than $1 for each little package because I wasn't willing to invest much in an experiment.
Items needed - quart sized canning jar, canning ring, 1 new knee-high stocking (less than 50 cents at Walmart for 2), and 1/4 cup of sprouting seeds. I selected alfalfa (with legumes you may need a bigger container). Add the seeds to the jar, cover with water, attach knee high stocking to jar over opening and secure with canning ring. Soak overnight. Drain and then "rinse" seed 2-3 times a day until sprouted to your satisfaction. To rinse, simply fill the jar, swirl around the loose seeds and drain. I kept my jar on the counter near the stove so it wouldn't get forgotten. The jar got minimal sun.
When sprouted, set in fridge and eat. Our 1/4 cup of seeds filled the jar with sprouts. The sprouts can last up to 10 days depending on the variety. If they start to yellow, set in the sun for a little while until green again. Don't let them get too hot or they will spoil.
We've been enjoying the sprouts all week. I keep thinking I need to come up with some recipes but for now we're enjoying them with our meals as they are.
There are many types of seeds out there for sprouting. According to the chart on Sproutpeople, the most nutritious are - Alfalfa, Clover, Lentil, Mung Bean, Pea, Pinto Bean, Radish, Rye, Sunflower, Wheat, and Soy.
They do sell sprout seeds at Sproutpeople but I found better prices at Amazon. Amazon, also, has large bulk seeds for reasonable prices. The highest price I saw per pound was around $30 for broccoli but most seem to be under $10 per pound. This may seem cost-prohibitive but remember 1 pound of seeds will make a really large amount of sprouts since 1/4 cup seems to make about 4 cups of sprouts (perhaps even significantly more since they are tightly compacted).
I do recommend purchasing a small amount of seeds to determine what sprouts you and your family will like best.

Avocados

I apologize for not having this post out yesterday and will make up for it today with two posts.
Recently, a friend of mine was asking about avocados. She wanted to know how to buy them and then what was the best way to use them. That may seem like a strange question but avocados are the new "superfood". They are full of good fats and nutrients. It's been claimed that avocados help make hair and skin healthier. It is also said that avocados can make you look younger and help your heart.
I don't know about all those claims but I do know that avocados are a great tasting part of a healthy diet. They are one of my family's favorite foods (avocados are a fruit but our society often treats it like a vegetable).
Picking a good avocado is rather easy. However, in the northern states - like here in Eastern Washington, it's a little more difficult. There are two basic types of avocados in the grocery store - the "normal" or Hass avocado and the large avocado (which should have a variety name but I couldn't find it). Southern states that grow avocados may have more variety but determining a good one for purchase should be the same.
For a normal sized avocado - look for a dark green skin, the flesh should give slightly when pressed but should not leave a depression. Black skin and soft fruit are too ripe. The sooner you plan to use the avocado the riper you can go. Avocados do not have a long shelf life. For best taste, store avocado on counter but if ripening too fast store in refrigerator but for no more than a couple days.
Overripe avocados make fine guacamole.
I grew up eating northern guacamole which was basically overripe avocados mashed with salsa (usually a tomato based paste like substance). There was even a time you could buy guacamole mix which allowed the chef to make an even pastier version of guacamole. When I went to San Diego, I was surprised by the guacamole I found there. It was chunks of avocado, tomato, onions, peppers in a clear "sauce". I have yet to find something in the northern states that comes close to the goodness of that condiment. In defense of northern states - we don't get the same quality of avocados due to their short shelf life.
Before I completely forget - to determine a good large avocado - look for unblemished skin, they do not always change color. You still want a firm but giving fruit.
To cut the avocado - first thing to remember is there is a large seed in the center of the wide part of the avocado. Cut down the middle, starting at the small end. Cut around the seed and pull the avocado apart. Leave the seed in one half while attending the other half, this will prevent browning. If you are only going to use half the avocado, place the half with the seed in a ziplock bag and refrigerate (use in 24 hours). You have several choices at this point for cutting up the avocado, you can remove the flesh from the skin with a large spoon (tablespoon sized serving spoon works best but you can use a "normal" sized spoon as well) and then cut it into the desired pieces (or use whole). If I am cubing the avocado, I gently cut the fruit still in the skin and then spoon out - sometimes I do this with slicing the avocado as well.
I like avocados on salads and sandwiches. A family favorite is bagels, cream cheese, avocado and turkey (sometimes tomatoes and sprouts). My other favorite is a Cobb salad - salad mix, bacon, blue cheese and avocado (and anything else you want).
I have tried avocado in a smoothie. It was okay - you couldn't taste the avocado and I like the way they taste. They are a great addition to mexican food.
Avocados don't have a very strong flavor so they are a great addition to any dish. I like them on hamburgers - (with mushrooms and swiss cheese and nothing else).
April and May seem to be good times to buy avocados on sale. I have found them for as little as 4 for $1. With prices the way they are I think finding them 2 for $1 may be as good as it gets.

Bountiful Baskets

I was complaining to a friend about the lack of good produce available in our area (or at a reasonable price). She suggested Bountiful Baskets. At that time, she hadn't tried it yet but had heard great things about the program.
Bountiful Baskets is a non-profit group that makes produce available for a low cost. At $15 a basket, it seems quite economical so I thought I'd try it. There were a few things that would have been good to know:
1. There's a $1.50 handling fee
2. There's a $3 first time user fee
Making my total for the first basket nearly $20. I still went ahead and found myself pleasantly surprised. For that money we got a bunch of bananas, 2 mangos, 5-6 granny smith apples, 5-6 oranges, 7-8 kiwis, a head of romaine, 10 heads of garlic, 1 bag carrots (1pd I believe), and 1 sm bag of potatoes. I believe that was everything. It was a nice change from iceberg lettuce salad mix. We made Beef stew on Sunday that was so good. The oranges and mangos went fairly quickly and so did about half the apples (I am trying to save them to make apple pie jam - if we get more). The kiwis are a little more time consuming than just grabbing the apples, bananas or oranges but I look forward to getting into them soon (we are thinking kiwi pancakes on Sunday).
All in all it was a good deal. This next week will be even better.
We opted to buy two baskets (1 for us and 1 for my Dad). This makes our baskets $15.75 each since they only charge the handling fee once. My dad also saves on the first time user fee.
There are some catches to this program. You have to sign up at their website bountifulbaskets.org on Monday or Tuesday (you can look to see if there is a program in your area). Then on the pick up day, which seems to mostly be Saturdays, you have a 20 minute window to pick up your food or it's donated to the food bank. There are no refunds. The good thing is that you decide each week if you want a basket, a bad thing is there is a limit to how many baskets are sold but they may expand the baskets if there is more demand.
The website is not as user friendly as I would like. It seemed difficult to find the information I wanted. Part of that stems from their inability to see in the future - they can't guarantee what will be available from week to week but they always seem to have a good selection (you also don't get to pick and choose - you get what they give).
They do have extra stuff from time to time. This week there was an option to get a big thing of strawberries. I highly recommend trying the program and seeing what you think.